Polymer nanocomposites consisting of a single type of nanomaterial dispersed in a polymer matrix have been the subject of much research and development activity in recent years. In particular, these materials have attracted interest because they have many desirable performance attributes related to mechanical properties, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, gas/vapor barrier properties, etc. While a significant number of polymer nanocomposites of this type have been developed and/or commercialized, conventional polymer nanocomposites suffer from limitations related to suboptimal dispersion of the nanomaterial in the polymer matrix that attenuates these desirable performance attributes. For example, when nanomaterials in powder form are melt blended with polymers using extruders and conventional fillers under typical compounding conditions, the resultant composites exhibit suboptimal exfoliation and dispersion of the nanomaterial in the polymer matrix. As a result, the materials have performance characteristics that are far below a theoretical magnitude of performance enhancement predicted to be provided by the nanomaterials. Technologies have been developed to produce highly exfoliated solutions, dispersions, slurries, or wet cakes by solvent exfoliation of individual nanomaterials using solvent systems. Though these materials can be co-dispersed with polymer solutions or polymer dispersions, followed by removal of the solvent to produce polymer nanocomposites with improved exfoliation and dispersion of the nanomaterial, the performance attributes of these composites are also typically below theoretical levels due to incomplete exfoliation and dispersion of the nanomaterial.